Everyone travels for different reasons, and though we all embark on unique journeys, we all set out with the intent to have a good time. Through the years, I've learned there are certain aspects of travel that make me better equipped than other tourists. For example, I am fearless. I don't believe in being timid while traveling because timidity only gets you so far - usually about as far as the hotel door. Also, I quite frequently have no shame, so embarrassment rarely impacts the actions I take.
I've compiled a list of what I would normally consider my 'rules' - they're the things I try to embrace as much as possible, and to remind myself of if ever I'm concerned about the outcome of a trip. Although I've numbered them, I would point out that I tend to use them as all equally applicable, so pay no particular attention to the series.
So, without further ado, I release my rules out into the world. I should preface this by saying that they have held true in various types of trips, and have never let me down. I hope that if you embrace them, you too will find them to be beneficial.
12 Steps to Cultivating a Travel Addiction
- Travel with someone you love... There's no such thing as a bad trip if you're sharing it with a like-minded travel companion (who you love). Traveling can be stressful, and if you embark on a trip with someone you only mildly like (or dislike) you will find the travel to be insufferable - to say the least.
- Never be afraid to sound stupid. I think everyone has hesitantly attempted to mutter a word in a foreign language, if only because we've been convinced there was no hope if we didn't. The thing is, people will appreciate if you attempt to speak the native language, and will be more inclined to assist you - you'll also be able to stock pile the words in your new vocabulary for future endeavors!
- Research. Know where you're going and what you want to do. There's nothing worse than learning about a great sight after you get home.
- Do things that make you uncomfortable. Let's face it: it doesn't take much to set out on vacation and then mimic your daily life from home. There are very few places on earth where you can't find the creature comforts you've come to love, and even fewer where you'd actually have to look for them. Leave that security blanket at home, and do something that makes you truly uncomfortable - it makes for better stories and you'll have a more interesting trip.
- Throw away the itinerary. Planning is good, and it certainly can make a trip much more fluid, however traveling on a tight schedule often means sacrifices you'll come to regret later. Use your itinerary as a guideline, then when something interesting comes up, fit it in accordingly. If your vacation feels like boot camp, odds are you could have had more fun at home. (This rule is closely linked with numbers six and seven)
- Savour the sights, but don't dawdle. Every city has fascinating sights, but don't spend six hours fixating on one place, only to have to skip another. Things you love are well worth investing more time in, but must you really spend hours sitting at the restaurant you saw in the movie where that man kissed that woman in the rain...? I have previously been guilty of this; a sense of nostalgia, even for someone else's 'memory' is a powerful thing, but the real question becomes: 'will staying here any longer give me any more benefit than if I leave now?' Looking studious while examining a memorial doesn't actually make you smarter; wandering to a bookstore afterward and picking up a history book will!
- Be flexible. Your day trip is overbooked/rescheduled/cancelled. What do you do? Panic tends to set in really very quickly, especially if you've planned an entire chunk of your trip around that particular item. The most important thing you can do is to not let it ruin your trip. There are dozens of things to do at any given time, and often times fate likes to redirect you to something it feels might better suit you. I've learned that anticipation is almost as fun as the actual adventure - heading out and anticipating a whole new adventure can really make up for the disappointment of the missed excursion.
- Stay somewhere unexpected. I have stayed in more Holiday Inns than I can count, and what they have going for them is that they are consistent. Consistently the same, that is. It can be a refreshing change to see the world from a new set of windows - ones that aren't bulk-ordered for their homogeny. A posh hotel, if fitting the budget, can be a nice mid-trip change of pace, just as hostels, or dodgier hotels can be entertaining and provide you with a new set of people to watch.
- Talk to strangers. Our parents always told us about 'stranger danger' but traveling in a bubble only makes you feel like a tourist. Be smart about the conversations you have, but look for the human connection. Conversations might be as simple as the weather or the nearest restaurant, but can also take a whole new level, and become about the view outside of their window - a whole new perspective on the world at large!
- Sleep when you get home. If you're sleeping more than you're adventuring, why'd you leave your house? (enough said!)
- No destination is too small. Adventure is what you make of it, and at the end of the day a good trip even in your local community can create a whole new perspective on your world. If a big trip is out of the question (as it, sadly, too often is) then the next best thing is to find something local and new, and to delve into it with the same ferocity as you would if you were a 'tourist'.
- Share. Share your adventures, your trips, your excitement... just share. The human connection - whether a loved one, someone on a park bench, or a fellow adventurer - is the best part of travel. I love talking travel almost as much as I love the act itself, and it can be inspiring as well as educational.
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